Misa Want a Digital Guitar

I'd name my Digital Guitar Hal

Guitar purists likely have their hackles raised at the thought of  doing away with strings and replacing them with a touch screen interface. To those people, Misa Digital (based in Sydney, Australia), is emphatic that this is not a replication of the electric guitar. According to the company, the Digital Guitar is something completely different.

Using a touchscreen and 24 frets, this instrument is a guitar-shaped MIDI controller that plays like a cross between a guitar and a tablet. Rather than pluck or strum with your right hand, finger movements control the sound in “an infinite number of ways”. And to reinforce we’re using a 21st century instrument, its simple white and black design is reminiscent of a certain fruity technology company.

(Check out the demo video after the break)

On Misa’s website, the company argues that effects-laden electronic music is restricted by the electric guitar–the complexity of controlled effects is just too much when you have to worry about pedals, strings, and any additional controls. A totally new interface, such as the touch screen, is the solution to this problem plaguing electronic music.

Has Misa produced the next big instrument for electronic music? Do you want one now? Or are you still suspicious that this is just a touch screen take on an existing instrument? Misa seems worried you might have such doubts:

So don’t compare Misa digital guitars to acoustic guitars or electric guitars. Those are different instruments, for different artforms, for different music. This is electronic music.

Convinced yet?

[Misa via PSFK]